Mental Health Services

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Taranaki DHB provides a full range of mental health services, from acute inpatient care, intensive psychiatric care, services for the elderly, psychology, alcohol and drug counselling and also specialist services for children and young people through the Child and Adolescent Service. The acute inpatient care facility, Te Puna Waiora, has been designed to respect the needs and privacy of the consumer and provide the best environment for treatment and recovery.

Te Puna Waiora

Te Puna Waiora is the acute inpatient adult mental health unit, within Taranaki Base Hospital and is accessed via the first entrance off David Street. Te Puna Waiora is a 30-bed unit, catering for the needs of people with acute mental illness.

The unit comprises an Intensive Psychiatric Care unit, six psychogeriatric beds and 20 adult inpatient beds. Patients have their own bedroom, a selection of group therapy rooms and a range of recreational facilities. The flexibility of the facility provides a more appropriate and dignified setting for various patient groups including older patients.

Te Puna Waiora is accessible 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Potential patients should bring clothing and toiletries with them. The multidisciplinary team working within Te Puna Waiora includes mental health nurses, two psychiatrists, occupational therapists, the Maori mental health team, social workers, and a House Surgeon.

The Crisis Team

Members of the team are experienced clinicians, are appointed Duly Authorised Officers and facilitate the Mental Health Act requirements.
They respond to an average of 250 to 400 calls per month. Many of these calls are self- referrals. The Crisis Team works with General Practitioners and Taranaki Base Hospital 's Emergency Department, responding to requests for acute assistance.

The team also manages access to an increasing array of crisis respite care options in the region and they work very closely with the Kaupapa Maori Crisis Service.

Visiting Hours

Monday - Friday 3.00pm - 8.00pm
Saturday - Sunday 10.00am - 8.00pm

Contact us:

Crisis Service
Phone 06 753-6139 ext 7680

Community Outpatient Services

We have three community mental health teams - North East Taranaki, North-West Taranaki and South Taranaki (based in Hawera). Each community team includes a key worker for all clients accessing support services.

The teams cover psychiatry, psychology, community nursing, Maori perspectives, social work, occupational therapy and rehabilitation and alcohol and drug representation. Each team provides assessment and treatment services at a range of outpatient clinics including Patea, Stratford, Opunake, and Waitara.

Community Mental Health Services are mobile with approximately 50% of community activity being home based.

Contact us:

Mental Health Outpatient Services
Phone 06 753-6139 ext 7699

Find us:

Mental Health Outpatients, behind Te Puna Waiora

Services for the Elderly

The Mental Health Service for Older People (MHSOP) is made up of personnel from several disciplines and includes psychogeriatricians, psychologists, mental health nurses, an occupational therapist, a social worker and a team leader. A part-time social worker and support worker offer cultural support.

The MHSOP team provides assessment, treatment, care and support to people in Taranaki who are over the age of 65 and experience significant mental health problems including dementia. People under the age of 65 who experience "age related" mental health problems are also supported by the team.

People are usually seen in their own homes but can attend an outpatient clinic in Base Hospital if this is more convenient.

Contact us:

Outpatient Services
Phone 06 753-6139 ext 7620

Find us:

Sited within Te Puna Waiora - Acute Inpatient Unit.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health team provides a specialist service throughout Taranaki. They focus the more serious mental health difficulties, as outlined in the Ministry of Health document 'New Futures'.

The team works from two base sites, New Plymouth and Hawera, and offers a number of satellite clinics in health centres and schools. Access is open and the team accepts referrals from statutory and non-statutory health, education and welfare providers.

The Child and Adolescent team uses a multi-disciplinary approach and has close links with the Adult Mental Health Crisis Team. Recent appointments include a psychiatrist, and specialists for dual diagnosis, first episode psychosis and eating disorders.

Contact us:

Reception
06 753 7790

Find us:

First building to the right through the Tukapa Street Entrance.

Alcohol and Drug Service

The Alcohol and Drug Service provides outpatient assessment and treatment services for client with alcohol and/or drug misuse, or people affected by another's alcohol and/or drug addiction.

The counsellors work closely with the Adult Mental Health teams regarding the assessment and treatment of clients with a co-existing psychiatric disorder.

The service offers early intervention/screening services, assessment and access to intensive residential programmes, (including clients under the Alcohol and Drug Act), and a regional opioid programme in collaboration with a network of General Practitioners and pharmacies. We have established a community based detoxification programme.

Brochure

Consumer forums

Our Consumer Forums are open to anyone - clients of the Alcohol and Drug service, people who may benefit by our service, or their family or partners.

This is a "come and have your say" forum- a consumer advisory group for our service, where consumers tell us what they need and can have their say on how to improve the quality of alcohol and drug service.

Contact us:

Reception
Direct Line
Phone (06 753-7838
or 06 753-6139 ext 8555

Find us:

From the Tukapa Street entrance, drive past the Barrett building then veer to the right, past the laundry.
Beyond the carpark you will see the covered way that marks the entrance nearest the Alcohol and Drug Service.
There are some car parks here.
Go through the covered way and take the first left through
the double doors, up the stairs
to the Alcohol and Drug Service.